The Traceless Warrior

Gotta Love It

2009-11-20T11:02:00.001-05:00

A little theme music.

And so to the point.

Jon Stewart is yet again

2009-11-20T10:15:00.003-05:00

My hero!

Some of you may have heard about the 10 year old kid that decided not to say the pledge of allegiance until there actually was "liberty and justice for all". Well, as you can imagine, he has been getting hassled quite a bit at school for taking such a stand. (not to mention being raked over the coals by so called conservatives, who only believe in liberty and justice for themselves)

Well, Stewart has the solution!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Gaywatch - Peter Vadala & William Phillips

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

(Huzzah Mick Foley!!)

Born to Run Barefoot?

2009-11-20T09:40:00.001-05:00

An interview with Chris McDougall, Author of "Born To Run"

Done by ABC News.

Ya never know, there just may be something to this barefoot stuff. There certainly is to running.

Born to Run Barefoot?

Gimme that ol' time religion

2009-11-16T00:23:00.002-05:00

Since Religion seems to be a subject that's up a lot these days,

what with the Catholic church flexing its political muscle, Fred Phelps and his nut jobs standing around with their signs, all the hate coming from all quarters, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, and all (I even heard of a Jain that sharpens the bristles of the broom he uses to sweep insects from his path) I thought some inspirational church music might be in order. (Warning: Not Safe For Work)

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Fun Music

2009-11-12T08:33:00.006-05:00

With a fun name

Meet Pomplamoose, an Indi Group from the Bay Area. I just discovered them last night, and I have to say I find them quite charming and engaging. (If it weren't for YouTube I'd be so far behind the times....)

The group consists of Nataly Dawn and Jack Conte, two very talented musicians. Ms. Dawn sings (with a very sweet voice, a little reminiscent of Feist, but with her own character) and plays the bass guitar. Mr. Conte plays everything but the kitchen sink (and I wouldn't be surprised to see him work that in on some tune or another) and does backup vocals.

They are using a medium that I was not familiar with called a "VideoSong". They describe it (from their YouTube site) as:

A VideoSong is a new Medium with two rules:

1. What you see is what you hear (no lip-syncing for instruments or voice).
2. If you hear it, at some point you see it (no hidden sounds).

This turns out to be a pretty fun format, and it puts music videos back in the hands of musicians, even if they don't have million dollar budgets.

I really got a kick out of their music. They cover a lot of songs, and do their own material. They even manage to make a tune from a TV commercial sound good.

I am a little envious of my friends in SF. The next time I'm out that way I will be hoping they will be playing live somewhere near.

I am going to exert what little influence I have with WYCE (one of the world's best stations) to see if I can't get their music a little air time. With any luck they might just get really popular here in West Michigan and end up playing here one day.

Here are a couple of videos by Pomplamoose for your enjoyment. You can find a lot more on their YouTube Channel. You can also find their music on itunes.

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Applying the Brakes

2009-11-10T15:10:00.007-05:00

Without busting the shins.

I have been noticing this interesting thing when I watch people run.

Someone will be moving along with near perfect form, feet landing directly under center mass, proper heel flick, good turnover, the whole nine yards. Then the go to stop. The throw their body back. dorsiflex the lead foot, lock their lead leg at the knee and heel strike to stop themselves.

¿Cómo se dice ‘OUCH’ en español?

Then they wonder why they are still getting shin splints, sore knee and hip joints and other such pains.

Slamming the weight and momentum of your body into a rigid lead leg with all the force focused on the heel bone, to decelerate from 8 to 0 mph in one or two steps, is not what I would think of as a long term survival strategy.

This is one of those areas where barefoot training can be a real help. The only reason a person can repeatedly perform this maneuver is because the padding in modern running shoes will keep you from feeling the immediate pain of impact (while doing nothing to lessen the shock of the landing).

You can test this (though I DON'T recommend that you do) by taking off your shoes and running a few yards, then stopping in this manner.

A saner way to come to a halt, or a walk, is to land on the forefoot and allow the knee and hip joints to absorb the forward motion by converting it into downward motion. This gives your stride a little dip for a step or two, but it does not put unneeded impact on the leg. With a little practice you can go from a run to a walk in one step, without slapping your foot on the ground or striking your heel into the path.

Here is a video clip of a field hockey player with a good stride, but bad breaking. You will notice that with the slow motion shot, you can see the shock-wave going up his shin from the heel strikes.

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Autumn Leaves as a Training Tool

2009-11-09T22:05:00.004-05:00

Or, "How to run better and play like a kid at the same time"

I was out working with a client today. This of course means different things with different people. In this case we were working on his running.

It was a fine autumn day here in West Michigan with the parks and most of the streets and sidewalks covered in leaves. As it happens, a leaf covered running trail is a wonderful thing for improving one's stride. All you have to do is run through them and listen. You will be able to hear if you are dragging your feet, or any number of things that will mess with good stride.

Then all you have to do is try to run more quietly. The quietest stride will be the one where you pick up your feet and land them directly under your center of mass. So when you are running (or walking for that matter) with just the light crunching sound of compressing directly down on the leaves without any of the scuffing sounds, your stride will be very good.

Also, it's just fun to run through autumn leaves.

Give it a try next time you're out.

Here's a little running music, "The Hunt" from Azam Ali and Niyaz.

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A Paleolithic Athletic Drink

2009-11-08T09:56:00.018-05:00

And all around great food that most people have never heard of.

There is a food that at one time was prized from central California to Texas, from Colorado to Central Mexico. It was a staple of the Gabrielino-Tongva Tribe from the Palos Verdes area of southern California, The Chumash collected it as far north as San Louis Obispo County. The Hopi and Zuni used it as a travel food, the Apache collected it wherever they found it.

Amongst the Native peoples of Mexico it was considered so valuable that the Aztecs paid their taxes with it.

The Gabrielinos called it "Pashi", the Chumash knew it as "Ilepesh", I'm told the Mayan name for the plant meant "that which gives strength", the Aztecs adopted it as "Chian" which meant "oily". The Latin names for the plant are Salvia columbariae and Salvia Hispanica.

Until recently we knew of this plant only through late night commercials and the jokes about them. I am of course talking about the Chia Plant and chia seeds, the original Native American super food.

When I started doing research on foods that supported healthy blood sugar levels I found many references to it as as one of the most promising, and I was reminded of having had it as a treat when I was a child.

Until the book "Born to Run" was published, it was likely that most people didn't even know the chia seed was edible, let alone good for you unless they were close to South Western Native or Mexican cultures.

As it turns out, the humble chia seed can help normalize your blood sugar, lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, help prevent heart disease, as well as help you lose significant weight. It will also most likely make you smarter. The seed is very high in Omega-3 fatty acids especially alpha-Linolenic acid. It is also quite high in antioxidants as well, and has complete protein.

Here is a breakdown of chia as a nutrient. This is calculated for one ounce of chia seeds, which is about two tablespoons worth.

An ounce of chia has a glycemic load of "1" and is mildly anti-inflammatory.

You can get a pretty in depth nutritional analysis here. This is a good article on chia seed for diabetics.

Back in the day, Apache warriors would keep a bag of chia seeds on their belt when on the trail. This was preferred over any other food because it was light, compact, and could be eaten right out of the bag with no cooking at all. It doesn't taste like much, but chia and water can keep you going for weeks if need be.

There are many ways to use chia as a food, and I will go over a few of them here.

First though, for those people who have sisters who like to drink pancake batter-like substances when they run, we have Chia Fresca.

Chia Fresca is my answer to Gatorade and all the other so called "energy drinks" out there. (All of which are not fit for human consumption as far as I am concerned).

Here is my recipe.

In a one liter bottle:

fill half way with good water

add three tablespoons of dry chia seeds and stir (or shake, with the lid on of course) until the seeds are mixed well with the water.

Add the fresh juice of two limes, (with the pulpy bits from making the juice).

Add one packet of Alacer Electro-Mix.

Add one level teaspoon of MSM powder.

fill the bottle the rest of the way with water.

Sweeten to taste.

Put the lid and and shake like crazy, then let it sit in the fridge for a half hour or so.

When I make this and I know I'm having a light workout day I use stevia as a sweetener. If I will be working out hard enough to need serious calorie replacement I will sweeten the mix with agave syrup. (very low glycemic index for a sweetener)

The MSM helps support joint health and also seems to convince your body's cells to be a bit more permeable (and thus fight insulin resistance).

The chia seeds will absorb about nine times their weight in water as they sit in the bottle. After a half hour or so the will form a gel around themselves and you will have what looks a bit like a liter bottle full of frog's eggs in swamp water.

This stuff will rehydrate you very quickly and give you calories from real food rather than from "high fructose corn syrup", and it won't spike your blood sugar. I have found nothing better for long runs or bike rides. (it also tastes good and is fun to drink)

Now that athletes have found out about chia fresca you can find all manner of articles on the web about how great it is.

Here's another recipe that uses chia.

Ilaká'its'éé Sélt'sé (Apache Sunflower Cakes)

2 cups of raw, shelled sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon of salt
1 rounded tablespoon of chia seeds
4 tablespoons of blue corn meal (or other heritage corn)
1/2 cup of water
a little cooking oil

Stir the chia seeds into 1/2 cup of water and set aside for about a half hour so that the seeds form a gel.

Place the sunflower seeds in a pan with the teaspoon of salt and just cover with water. Cook at a low boil for six minutes then take the pan off the stove and let it cool.

Place the seeds along with any water left from the cooking in a good blender or food processor and grind them into a paste.

Place the paste in a bowl and add the corn meal, stir well. Now add the chia gel and mix it into the batter. Chia gel will bind ingredients as well as gluten or egg, so it is a great substitute for anyone who is vegetarian and wheat intolerant.

Bring a lightly oiled cast iron skillet to a medium heat.

Scoop out a rounded tablespoon of the batter, form it into a patty and place it on the skillet, use your spatula to flatten the patty a bit more. Repeat until your skillet it full.

Cook until both sides are golden brown.

Serve warm or cool.

If people have an interest I'll post some other recipes that involve chia as time allows.

Meatless Pemmican

2009-11-05T22:11:00.008-05:00

Making your own trail/workout food

One of the problems I have run into as an "endurance" athlete is that most of what is used to fuel oneself on the trail might as well be poison for what it does to my blood glucose.

The modern gels, goos and power bars are designed to dump a lot of calories into your system VERY quickly. This is hard enough on your metabolism if it is "normal" but for a diabetic, It's way too much.

So I have taken to making my own trail/running foods and drinks and testing them to make sure that I get sustained calories that are released at a sane pace and real nutrients to boot.

One of my favorite running foods is "meatless pemmican". Pemmican is a traditional Native American food that contains fat, protein, and carbohydrates. It has been used since forever as a travel ration and as a food that can be easily stored for months. As a ration it can keep you going for weeks. Along with a little pinole and beans, people have walked from one side of America to the other with pemmican as their main food source.

Traditionally, the protein in pemmican comes from dried meat, and the fat is rendered from bone marrow. Being as the quality of commercial meat is more than a little dubious, and I am not set up to properly dry the wild meat I get, I have developed this recipe that is vegetarian, (vegan even)

You will need

Piñones (pine nuts) 1/2 cup
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds, hulled) 1/2 cup
Almonds 1/2 cup
Pecans 1/4 cup
Dried Cherry 1/2 cup
Dried Blueberry 1/4 cup
Dried Apricot 1/2 cup
Dried Apple 1/2 cup
Salt 1 tsp
Coconut Oil 1 tsp

Note: the best pine nuts are from the "Pinus Edulis" (Colorado Pinion Pine) and are harvested mostly in New Mexico. A quick Google search will turn up several sources. Any of the other pine nuts will do in a pinch though. CostCo sells a large bag for a very good price.

The first thing you will need to do is dry roast the Piñones and Pepitas. I use a wok, but a cast iron frying pan works as well, or an oven for that matter, though it is a bit harder to get the right roast in my experience.

I roast the seeds very lightly, just enough to improve the flavor. If you want an all raw food you can eliminate this step, But I don't think it tastes as good.

At the end of the roasting, when the seeds have taken on a light golden color, I add one rounded teaspoon of coconut oil to the pan and stir it until the seeds are covered in the oil.

Next, add the seeds, as well as any other nuts you are using (almonds etc) and the salt to a food processor.. (one of the great inventions of the 20th century)

And grind them into a fine meal.

Then add your dried fruit.
Note on dried fruit: Be sure to read the labels when you get your dried fruit. Much of the commercial stuff has sugar added, which is really unnecessary (and potentially harmful). I get my fruit from the local healthfood store which sells certified organic with no sugar added.

Grind everything together. You may need to stop and use a spoon to get the mis off the side of the processor as it tends to be a bit sticky at this point.

Cut sheets of wax paper into appropriate size take a couple of spoons of the mix and shape it into a bar.

Wrap the bar tightly. When you have enough, seal them in an air tight bag or other container. If you keep them in a freezer they will stay fresh like this pretty much forever.

You can experiment with different seeds and nuts to develop a flavor that pleases you. I will sometimes add sunflower seeds, chia seeds or ground flax seed to the mix with good result.

Note: If you are diabetic avoid using dates. Date sugar has a higher glycemic index than glucose (date sugar is 103 to 106, glucose is 100) Dates will always spike my blood sugar.

There you have it, a trail food that will keep you going all day, that tastes good and that most children think is great.

If you try this do let me know what you think.

DC Green Muslims

2009-11-02T20:51:00.002-05:00

How Kewl Is That?

Visit Their Blog

Musical Interlude

2009-11-02T16:38:00.000-05:00

Yo Yo Ma and the honkers (for the child in everyone)

Getting Fit (For Sabi Honom and the Ladies of the Ummah)

2009-10-31T16:03:00.011-04:00

I've had a house guest These last few days.

It's my dear friend Carey Rockland. Carey is one of the more successful fitness coaches and personal trainers in the Bay Area (a place with fierce competition, there's a personal trainer under every rock in SF) She is one of the people that I go to for advice on how to improve and refine my own fitness program. Over the years she has never steered me wrong.

One area that she is particularly good at is helping people reclaim the health and fitness that they have lost, so when Sabiwabi made her post on reclaiming her own health and fitness, it occurred to me that I had an interesting opportunity to do something useful.

So I pointed Carey at the various posts by Sabi and the other ladies of the Ummah and asked her to put together some useful advice for women who want to reclaim their health. (and Carey is a much better coach than Jillian Michaels)

What you see below is the result. If there are questions, you can direct them to Carey either here or on her blog.

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Hello There! Mushtaq has been raving about how wonderful it is that you are all getting together to get fit! I am a fitness trainer from San Francisco, and he has asked me to write a guest blog with you in mind.

Exercise has many benefits, and the one that comes to the front of my mind as it relates to you, is the benefit of increased self-care. The simple act of making time for yourselves to get into shape does wonders for how you feel about yourself in every aspect of your lives. Being mothers, it likely often seems counterintuitive to choose to prioritize yourself any activity.

The choice to make time for your fitness will help you show up for those you love with more presence and efficacy. As your self-esteem grows alongside your increasing level of fitness, you will start to connect with yourself at this stage in your life.

In reading over your blog posts, I see an element of surprise at losing connection with yourselves while being overwhelmed with the demands of parenting. This is a completely normal occurrence. Recognizing the need to care for your health and fitness offers you the possibility of slowing down the pace of your life, refocusing on who you are right now, and can ultimately allow you to be fully present during these wonderful years of child rearing.

Your commitment to yourself and your family is the ultimate incentive to exercise. Knowing that you are preserving your health so you can be there for your children, and live long enough to see theirs, is a powerful motivator. Our minds get in our way more than almost any scheduling obstacle, because they are wired to resist physical discomfort.

Getting back into good physical condition typically includes some degree of discomfort. When the worry about discomfort arises, keep moving, and focus on the ways you are empowering yourself. Rather than engaging with inertia, move right past it. As long as you are committed to putting the time into physical movement, and you do so on a regular basis, everything else will fall into place, you will also find greater appreciation for what you see in the mirror.

One solution to finding time for fitness within a parenting schedule is to take 2 or 3 breaks during the day for 10 minutes of exercise. There are plenty of exercises you can do at home, that can be incorporated into kid time. Here's a sample schedule:

8:00-8:10 AM - March around your home carrying your child for 5 minutes alternating between 20 normal steps and 20 high knee steps. Then complete 10 squats holding your smallest child, then bend over, keeping your spine long, bend you knees and carefully pick your child up 10 times (pay close attention to your form), then lift your child as high as you can 10 times. Repeat x 2. If your child is too heavy, use two 1 gallon milk or water jugs.

12 - 12:10 PM - 5 plank walk-out push-ups (from a standing position, bring your hands to the floor (this is often taught with straight legs, I don't mind if you bend your knees), hand walk out until you are in a plank position, if you need to, drop to your knees, do one push-up, and walk yourself back up to standing. Next, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and step your left leg out to your side, perform a lateral squat step, then step back to standing where you began. Repeat on the right. Perform 20 repetitions per leg. Lastly, use the edge of a sturdy chair to perform 10 triceps dips, you may bend your knees to make these more manageable. Repeat this sequence twice.

4-4:10 PM - 25 jumping jacks, 10 one gallon jug biceps curls (or baby curls), 10 forward hops, 10 backward hops. Repeat x 3 Stand with feet shoulder width, holding gallon jug or baby, keep arms relatively straight, turn and pivot your body to the left and then right x 20 reps, one time through. Lastly, lie down on the floor on your back with knees bent, elbows under your head, eyes up, perform 25 upper ab crunches (upper abs and shoulders come off the floor) then release your head and perform 25 reaches toward your feet with your arms just above the floor, then flip onto your stomach and reach your hands and feet off the floor simultaneously for a 2 x 10 count. Repeat this ab sequence twice.

When squatting and lifting, keep your spine neutral and long - avoid any sort of rounding of the back. Keep your knees behind your toes, approximately over your ankles. When rotating, keep your spine upright, resist the urge to lean forward or back! Proper form is vital, if you are in doubt search Google and Youtube for more detailed instructions. Lastly, it is important to change your program every 4-6 weeks to avoid a plateau. If you do this program, search online for something to do once you have spent an adequate amount of time on it.

The most important thing to remember is: move! Three ten minute walk breaks during the day will serve you well if you cannot accommodate resistance exercise. If you fall out of your routine for some reason, jump right back in as soon as possible. It is better to accept short term set backs and move on quickly, rather than dwell on them. Your cumulative work over the long term will pay off.

Community is a tremendous asset. Use your network to create accountability and support for each other's exercise participation. You might try having a buddy system within the group in which you let your buddy know you have completed your daily workout.

Keep up the good work, keep communicating with each other, and do let me know if there is anything I can do to keep you moving!

Best wishes,
Carey Rockland

A Must Read

2009-10-29T00:27:00.002-04:00

Our own Sabiwabi Honom gives a brutally honest account of what it takes to get your health back.

This is a "must read" for anyone interested in reclaiming their health and fitness,

Check It Out

Articles On Running From The New York Times

2009-10-28T18:40:00.002-04:00

With a tip of the hat to M.M for pointing them out.

The Human Body Is Built for Distance

The Roving Runner Goes Barefoot

Barefoot Running video
An interview with Christopher McDougall

Then there are my own favorites

2009-10-28T12:01:00.003-04:00

Along with the ones that people read the most, here are the things I have written that I rather like.

Slicing Time and Slicing Ego
I wrote this as an answer to a question from a friend, it's part of my "slicing time series".

Martial Arts and Self Defense
This is an essay on the false dichotomy that some people make (usually in order to promote the thing that they think will make them some money) between the two.

The Fine Print
Being a short story with a slightly Lovecraftian flavor.

Training and Recovery
This was some of my thoughts on how to train in such a way as to stay healthy.

Getting Behind the knife
Some of my thoughts on effective knife combat training.

The Dance of the New Moon
A Sufi story designed as either a test, or a conundrum.

The Real Origins of George Bush's Power
Another short tale drawing from the traditions of Lovecraft, Gurdjieff and Sufism.

I just got back from the 12th annual Sufism Symposium
There is a bit of mental nourishment found here.

The Descent of Inanna
A translation of a very old and interesting poem.

Did Someone Say Sex?
This one really pissed off the stuffed shirts (or stuffed djellabas as the case may be) making one of my favorites.

Enjoy.

Turning a solar power garden light into a cheap battery charger

2009-10-28T11:43:00.004-04:00

I have always liked the idea of a solar battery charger....

But they are pricey. Most of them are between $50 and $90, but......

I just ran across this article. I am going to have to try this, being as I only use rechargeable batteries, and I hate giving money to the electric company.

Speaking as an Old Hippy

2009-10-27T09:33:00.002-04:00

I found this rather interesting.

Looking inside the brain of someone who is tripping, from the National Geographic Channel.

Got tagged

2009-10-25T16:43:00.005-04:00

Boy, it's been a while since that's happened.

Tagging is a game bloggers used to play back in the early ages of writing these things. These things often took the form of a series of interview questions, or just asked for a list of things.

Well Sabiwabi Honom (for the person asked why I always add that word to her name, it's a term of respect, a little like the English Ma'am) tagged me with

“5 (Random) Things That I Love.”

OK, let's see....... There's my cat

This is Wingnut. I'm not really a cat person but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He was originally a kitten brought home by one of my old house-mates, but he decided that I was his human, and spent most of his time hanging out with me. I have to admit, he is a pretty amusing critter.

Then there's Frybread!

today I cooked Indian Tacos (Buffalo chili served on frybread) for my friend Steve. He is going to have surgery done on his shoulder this week, so we had a little dinner party for him after training. Yeah Frybread!

Dune, by Frank Herbert.

It's one of my all time favorite books. His whole series of Dune books was some of the best fiction I have read.

I read Dune for the first time in '65 or '66. It was the first book I read over again the moment I finished it.
Herbert created one of the most compelling universes I have ever read in and I have found the stories of Dune to be at the level of modern mythology.

Here is the song "Inama Nushif" written in the Chaksobsa language of the Fremen, sung by the incomparable Azam Ali

Inama nushif
Inama nushif (She is eternal)
Al asir hiy ayish (No malice can touch)

Lia-anni (Singular and ageless)
Zaratha zarati (Perpetually bound)

Hatt al-hudad (Through the tempest)
Al-maahn al-baiid (be it deluge or sand)
Ay-yah idare (A singular voice)
Adamm malum (speaks through the torrent)

Hatt al-hudad (Through the tempest)
Al-maahn al-baiid (be it deluge or sand)
Ay-yah idare (A singular voice)
Adamm malum (speaks through the torrent)

Inama nishuf al a sadarr (Forever her voice sings)
Eann zaratha zarati (through the ages eternally bound)

Kali bakka a tishuf ahatt (Sacrifice is her gift)
Al hudad alman dali (one that cannot be equaled)

Inama nishuf al a sadarr (Forever her voice sings)
Eann zaratha zarati (through the ages eternally bound)

Kali bakka a tishuf ahatt (Sacrifice is her gift)
Al hudad alman dali alia (that Alia will one day equal)

Inama nushif (She is eternal)
Al asir hiy ayish (No malice can touch)

Lia-anni (Singular and ageless)
Zaratha zarati (Perpetually bound)

Playing with sharp pointy things.

What can I say?

and finally there's Tanzanian Hip Hop

Largely unknown outside of East Africa The Hip Hop movement of Tanzania is gritty, down to earth, socially conscious music (unlike its competitor "Bongo Flava") Some of the very best comes from Arusha.

so there's my list.

To pass it on I tag
Janet
Tiel
(both of whom I challenge to do their lists as poetry)
Steve Van Harn
(who will need to be doing something while he recovers)
And Steve Perry
(because he will come up with an interesting list)

Running in the Rain

2009-10-24T16:24:00.005-04:00

An interesting happened last week.

A bunch of people here got together and decided that I was giving them a running clinic.

Then they told me about it (people know me too well).

The whole idea of running has sort of gone viral around here. When my friends started reading my blog posts a good number of them decided that they were interested, and they told some of their friends, and today I found myself in the neighborhood park with a group of people ~~crazy~~ interested enough to come out in the cold and the wet to try out some new running ideas.

We spent the first half hour going over the basic ideas involved in what I think of as "primitive" running technque and then got into some exercises to help them modify their stride.

Here I am talking about foot anatomy and demonstrating (in my groovy toe socks) how the foot evolved to work at walking and running paces.

After the exercises we took off for the practicum.

I had picked an area to run with a nice, gentle slope so that people could practice their stride while running uphill.

after about an hour of practice everyone was pretty much in the groove.

Here is the hearty crew of rain runners.

And here is a clip of our last run of the day.

A Podcast From ABC* Radio "The Science Show"

2009-10-22T18:11:00.002-04:00

*(that would be Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Here is an interesting debate on the evolution of running I just ran across, The guy giving the pro side sounds like he has been cribbing from my notes :-)

The guy on the con side is advocating for man developing as a semi-aquatic mammal, a hypothesis I haven't heard much about since the '70s.

While it is not nearly as witty and erudite as a debate between Steve and myself, it's got some pretty interesting material.

Download the MP3

Useful material on running and other sports

2009-10-22T10:07:00.002-04:00

With or without shoes

My friend Cody, who is one of the best personal trainers in the Bay area BTW, sent me a link last night. I have to admit it kept me up way past my bed time, because one thing just sort of lead to another.

There was a good deal of excellent material on running, most of which can be applies to other sports as well.

For anyone in the Saturday running group, you will find this group of links quite useful.

Most of what you see here is from "Live Science"

Music Benefits Exercise

Perfect Running Pace Revealed

The Physiology Of Speed

Runners Pace Themselves Into The Zone
I found this article to be particularly interesting since it gives some interesting insight as to why I burn less calories at a my favorite running pace than I do a slower pace.

Roots of Running Go Way, Way Back

Why We Walk Upright: Beats Being a Chimp

What Does 'Fast Metabolism' Mean?

Walk This Way: The Amazing Complexity of Getting Around

Exercise Improves Old Brains

Exercise Improves Kids' Academics

Why Extremist Views Dominate

Brain Learns to Detect Danger as a Baby Learns to Crawl

Enjoy!

Native American Humor

2009-10-22T09:17:00.001-04:00

If you get the last joke you may be a Native American

I think I'm spending too much time on YouTube.

I sent these two videos around a few days back to a group of friends. some some of whom were Native American.

Everyone found the first one funny.

But the second joke the girl tells in this clip was a puzzle to my non-indigenous friends. Too bad, because it's hilarious.

Apropos of nothing

2009-10-21T19:03:00.002-04:00

Mercan Dede

Thought of the day

2009-10-21T15:59:00.001-04:00

Terence McKenna tells it like it is.

The Ugly Rears Its (ugly) Head Again

2009-10-21T13:12:00.003-04:00

My, how people go on.

I have been getting calls and emails all week from people who have been contacted by Buzz or one of his minions on this subject.

They seem upset (not my friends, buzz and the people who are brown nosing him).

Mostly, at this point I wouldn't be saying anything more on the subject. Buzz, it seems, has no interest in a meet at a tournament himself, but has found himself a "champion" to do his fighting for him.

His "champion" has issued a challenge, I accepted. that pretty much means that the verbal phase of the exercise is over as far as I am concerned. Time to put up or shut up.

But it seems like they would rather try to talk me to death.

I really don't care, my ability to ignore trolls who talk bad on the 'net but never seem to find the time to back it up with action is pretty good.

There is one thing I do need to address though, because it doesn't have anything to do with me, and it is a flat out lie.

Here's the background.

About three years ago I developed cataracts. Years of living at high altitudes and under equatorial sun took its tole I suppose. There was a problem though. I did not have any insurance, and did not qualify for any assistance.

The upshot was that by the beginning of last year all I could see out of my right eye was light, and out of my left, basic shapes.

A couple of friends decided to do a fund raiser to generate the money to get my eyes fixed. The money was raised, We found a topnotch surgeon who was willing to do the work for cost, Now I can see, 20-20 distance vision without glasses no less. How kewl is that?

Now here's the thing, I have never known who donated money or how much. I did not want to embarrass any of my friends because of their generosity, nor did I want anyone who was not able to give something (I have a good number of friends who would give me the shirt off their back, but unfortunately, they don't own a shirt) to feel bad about it.

But now it seems that Buzz is telling everyone how ungrateful I am because he donated so much money to my eye fund. one of his minions has even claimed (I assume because Buzz told him so) that Buzz donated more than anyone else. (funny how Buzz will talk to the whole world, but won't discuss this matter with me directly)

After hearing this, I asked the person who was head fund raiser if this were the case. According to her, it is not even close, several people donated more, quite a bit more.

So This Is A Lie.

It is also an insult to the several people who donated quite a bit more than him, and an even greater insult to the people who gave what they could, and could not match the sum he donated.

Am I grateful for Buzz's donation? Sure, but not any more so that to the person who could only give a dollar, or to the people who wished that they had the money to add to the fund but didn't. Does it give him license to attack me on his blog or to my friends? No.

So, here's the thing. There was a chunk of money left over after the surgery. A goodly chunk of that went to pay the mortgage payment on the house I was living in at the time, more than the size of Buzz's donation. Since the people who live in that house are Buzz's friends we will assume that his money went to them rather than me. I am sure that they will be suitably grateful, and I can wash my hands of the fellow. If that's not suitable, then I will give him the sum of his donation back (you read it here first) because I don't want that kind of money.

And I will remind Buzz (you bet he reads this blog) of the words of Jesus (as) as recounted by Matthew.

1. "Be careful that you don't do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2. Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don't sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.
3. But when you do merciful deeds, don't let your left hand know what your right hand does,
4. so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

As to the so called challenge, Here's my terms.

I will be happy to meet Buzz, or his boy if Buzz doesn't want to step up, at next years Pacific Island Gathering and Tournament. Everyone pays the entrance fees, everyone abides by the decisions of the Referee and judges. John (the guy who puts on the tournament) owns all video rights.

This last part is important. John donates whatever profits he makes off this tournament (never much) to St Jude's hospital. I figure there are a goodly number of people who would pay to see either Buzz or I get beat in a fight (and a lot more who would pay to see Beer Boy in the ring), so kids who need medical treatment and can't afford it are the ones who benefit.

And remember, trash talking someone across the internet is not a match.

That's pretty much what I have to say on the subject.

Adendum:
Since this is taking on the aspect of a Spaghetti Western, here's my theme music